Rack



0 3, 1931. G. A. FITZGIBBONS 1,827,572

RACK

Filed Dec. 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ennentor attorney;

Oct. 13, 1931. G. A. FITZGIBBONS RACK Filed Dec. 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mentor gamm -150;;

W fl g Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 v l GEBALDJA. rrrzdih nons, oi s'r. LOUIS, mssoum Application filed December 4, 1929. Serial No; 411,525.

The presentinvention relates to' improvements in racks and relates more particularly to anzimprovedi rack for holding stocks of a numberof different publications whereby the publications will be attractively displayed and held subject to-the ready withdrawal of thesame by purchasers;-

' It. is ani object of theinvention to provide a rack of this? character which is adapted to be set upj-in thevestibules of. churches for holding largestocks of a variety ofreligious,

publications'in whichthebookletsor publications are entirely visible and not partially covered. f a

further object of the invention resides in providing: an' improved rack equipped with sliding;dividers'tohold'booklets of any size and to: retain the booklets in close prox-- imity to one" another toavoidunsightly gaps between the bookletswhereby the entire rack display'may contribute to a harmonious and neatappearance;

It is: a-l further object of the invention to provide an improved rack including a. top

. section: for a changeable sign announcing new booklets.

A vstillfurther objectv of the invention is to: provide an improvedbooklet rack of a light, portable and'yet strongand rigid structure equipped witha'n'easel support and with a hanging chain.

With: the foregoing, and other objects in view,.the-r invention: will be more fully describedhereinaftenand will be more particularlypointed: out in the claim appended here m 1 Indie-drawings,- wherein like symbols refin) to like or corresponding parts throughout the several: views. 7

Figure 1' is: a front elevation of an improved rackiconstructed according. to the present invention.

' Figure- 2-is a: rear elevation of the" same with parts broken away and parts shown in section:

' Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is. a perspective view of the improved top section igure 6 is a similar view of one of theend dividers and' Figure 7 is alsoa perspective view showing a form of intermediate divider.

Referring more particularly to" the drawings, 1'0 designates the lowermost section of the rack which is preferably madefronr thin light sheet metal. At its lower edge this lower'section 10 is bentto form a shelf 11 and, outwardly of the shelf, to rovide a flange 12 upstanding from the shell 11 in order to retain the'booklets or other publicationsupon such shelf. The u per edge of the section 10 is turned outwardly at right angles to form a retaining. flange 13. It will be noted that the section 10 is of'veryshort vertical dimension as compared with its horizontal width whereby to secure strength and rigidity throughout the entire base of therack which is composed of a succession of sections similar tothe section: 10.

The next highersection 14 is formed with a ledge or shelf 15 havin at its outer end an upstanding flange 16. The upper edge of the section 14 is shaped to provide a retaining flange 17. The retainingflange' 13 of the lowermost section 10 abuts against the shelf 15 of the adjacent intermediate section 14 and the parts along this meeting line are jointed, asby electric welding. or the like. Therack may thus be built up of contiguous sections of sheet metal having flanged shelves at the lower ends thereof'and short retaining flanges at their upper ends welded or otherwise united to the shelvesof adjacent sections.

The various sections may if desired be of diflerent heights in order to accommodate publications of different sizes. The uppermost'section 18 is also provided with a shelf of extend up and carry the I strips 26 and 27, to the lower ends of which 19 and with a shelf flange 20 at its lower edge, but unlike the other sections, this uppermost section 18 has its upper edge bent rearwardly to form a rear stiffening flange 21. This flange 21 is cut away as indicated at 22 and 23 in Figure 2 to provide for the passage of the legs 24 of the top or head section; which legs find support in the metal straps 25 welded or otherwise secured to the back of the uppermost section 18.

This top or head section is shown more particularly in Figure 5. ,The legs 24 therechannel. guide are secured the bottom trough 28, and tothe upper ends of which are secured the lateral confining strips 29. These parts constitute a frame open in front and in back and In which a card or sign may be introduced by a sliding movement downwardly through the strips 29 and guides 26 and 27, the lower edge of such card or sign resting in the trough and thelegend upon thesign being visible through the open'rectangular portion of the framework- It;is the purpose of this sign to convey messages to the public'with respect to V the issue of new publications.

In other words it constitutes an announcement bulletin of late works. 7 f

Now the base of the rack composed of'the various' s'ections above referred to is preferablybraced and reinforced by metallic piping or hollowcylindrical members 30 and 31 which'extend bothtransversely and longitudinally of the device and which are electrically welded or otherwise secured to such base sections. The vertical pipe members 31 project below the rack and act as feet for supporting the same, Such feet may be provide'dwithrubber pads if desired; The ends ofthesemembers may be joined together also bywelding orotherwise if desired; The upper ends of the vertical members 31 are adaptedto receive the end links of achain 32 which is useful .forsuspending the device from a wall or other support. "The rack also-preferably carries an easel supportwhereby it may be stood upon the floor or other supporting surface as indicated in Figure 3. This: easel support includes'the legs 33 braced by a cross bar 34 near the lower ends thereof-and at the rack.

tached to the upper crossbar.35 which is pivotally mounted in the bearingstrips 36 welded ;or otherwise secured to the back of Intermediately of the lower and upper edges of each section is a guide strip'for the sliding dividers I r The base of each guide strip is indicated at 37 and the flanges thereof at'38 and 39. The guide strips are also preferably of sheet metal andithe flanges38 and 39 thereof are bent upwardly and turn inwardly, such flanges being separated to provide a slot in the outer-portions of the guide strips for slidably receiving the dividers. The base members 37 of the guide strips are welded or otherwise secured to the sections. The end dividers are shown in Figure 6, comprising base flanges 40, upstanding webs 41 and heads composed of the upper and lower members 42 and 43. These dividers are also preferably formed of sheet metal and the members 42 and 43 are folded one upon another along the edge 44. Notches 45 are cut in the webs 41 to receive the flanges 38 and 39 of the guide strips137.

I Referringmore particularly to Figure 7, the intermediate dividers are formed with baseflanges46, upstanding webs 47 and heads composed of the overlapped parts 48 and 49; .the part 49 extending equally to both sides of the web 47 and adapted to encompass publications at opposite .sides of such web 47. Notches 5.0 are provided in the webs 47 to receive the flanges 38-'and 39 of the guide strips. A coin box 51is shown in Figures '2' and 3 as being afiixed by bolts orother fastenings 52 to the rear side of the rack and in register with a coin chute 53 which extends through the rack and is accessibleon the outside of the rack for the depositof coins in payment forthe publications and'booklets. Theshelf flange just above the coin chute 53 providesa support for thesign cards 54, suchcards being clamped upon the flange asby abolt 55.- The outermost card may contain some such legend as Coin box here.

- In theu se of the device, books orpu'blications as indicated in dotted lines at 56 in Fig ures'l and 4are placedin therack,fin.any suitable number, the lower edges oflthe stock of publications resting upon the ledge 11 and being confined by the 'outer 'flange .12. The side edges of'such publications are embraced by the adjacent heads of intermediate 'dividers. These dividers in combination with the ledges and their fiangesconstitute open pockets to receive the publications while leaving the upper ends of the publications free to bewithdrawn upwardlyby the purchaser. The dividers are slidable Y laterally in the guide strips and-they are thus enabled to'en gage the publications without regard to the si es ofthe same. I

The device is set up eitherjupon the easel support or is hung from the chain 32. All of the publications are exposed toviewandnone of them are overlapped or obscured by; one another. Thus they are attractively dis played to the eye of the purchaser who may readily withdraw, the publication "of his choice after which he deposits'a coin in the coin chute 53 in payment of same. The coin box 51 may be removed from timetotime-by withdrawing the bolts 52. I F

I It is obvious that vanous changesiand modifications-may be made in the d'etails-of cifically described embodiment of this invention Without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim:

What is claimed is A display rack comprising a succession of sheet metal base sections disposed in edge- Wise abutting and superposed relation, each base section having at its lower edge an outturned shelf portion and at its upper edge an outturned retaining flange abutting the loWer side of the shelf portion of the adjacent base section, and reinforcing and supporting members secured to and extending across the rear sides of said base sections to hold the same together and in upright position. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GERALD A. FITZGIBBON S. 

